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| Diplopoda | |
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| Rusty millipede (Trigoniulus corallinus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
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| Class: | Diplopoda de Blainville in Gervais, 1844 |
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Millipedes are a very long type of arthropod. Millipedes are segmented. Most have between 20 and over 100 segments, and have flattened bodies. Except for the first few segments, each segment has 2 pairs of legs, as a result of each segment being the fusing (coming together) of two.
So far, about 12,000 different species of millipedes have been described. with 10,000 identified, and there is an estimated 80,000 total species of millipede on Earth. The animals are detrivores, they eat what is left over from plants.
Most of the time, their food is decaying leaves and other dead plant matter. Millipedes are not poisonous, but many species have glands capable of producing irritating fluids that may cause allergic reactions in some individuals. This protects them from being constantly eaten because of their slow movement. Generally, they are not a pest, although young seedlings in greenhouses can be sometimes eaten by these creatures. Xenobolus carnifex is known for its common infestation of thatched roofs in India. Several species swarm houses and farms, causing damage.
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